Understanding Your Bill

If you have any questions regarding your bill for electric or water consumption and/or city services charges, you may request an explanation and/or investigation from Customer Service within 5 days after receiving the bill.

Is your bill higher than expected?

There may be several reasons that are causing your utility bills to be higher than expected.

For further questions or concerns about your utility bill, please contact our customer service call center at (951) 782-0330.

Use this helpful graphic to get answers to some of the most commonly asked-about portions of your RPU bill:

*Click the above image to open in new window.

Delinquent Bills/Returned Check

Should you have any questions regarding this bill for electric or water consumption and/or city services charges, you may request an explanation and/or investigation from Customer Service within 5 days after receiving the bill.

Bills showing a previous balance are subject to termination proceedings under the terms and conditions of Riverside Public Utilities’ Rules and Rates Schedules. Past due accounts remaining unpaid may have service discontinued. To re-establish service, the Utility may require bill payment, a reconnection charge and a cash deposit or additional deposit not to exceed three times the estimated average monthly bill. A fee will be assessed on any item returned from the bank and may result in the termination of service.

Meter Reading

Your meter is read around the same time each month. Clear access to your meter is required. If we are unable to obtain a reading of your water or electric meter, your bill will be estimated.

Riverside Public Utilities’ Rules and Rates, under which service is rendered, are on file at City Hall, at the Customer Service Offices, and here for both water and electric services.

Conservation

For energy and water conservation tips and programs call (951) 826-5485, Monday through Friday 8 AM to 5 PM.

Water General Fund Transfer

The Water General Fund Transfer is a component of every customer’s water bill, and is a transfer of up to 11.5% of revenues from the Water Fund to the City’s General Fund. On June 4, 2013, the voters of the City of Riverside approved the Water General Fund Transfer as a general tax, pursuant to Article 13.C of the California Constitution.

Utility Charges

To help you better understand the charges and fees that show up on your monthly utility bill, here is a brief explanation of each one:

Water

Each month, RPU retrieves a reading from your water meter. The reading period can be found across from the Total Charges for Water on your bill.

This period is used to determine the actual days of service and to calculate your daily average use, measured in hundred cubic feet (CCF) of water used for the period. One CCF is equivalent to roughly 748 gallons.

Your used CCF/consumption is billed based on the usage allotted for each tier of your assigned service rate.

Electric

As with your water meter, RPU retrieves a reading from your electric meter each month. The reading period can be found across from the Total Charges for Water on the bill.

This period is used to determine the actual days of service and to calculate the daily average of kilowatt-hours (kWh) used for the period. One 100-watt bulb burning for 10 hours uses about one kilowatt-hour of electricity.

Your used kWh are billed based on the usage allotted for each tier of your assigned service rate.

Reliability Charge

This is a flat charge assigned to each electric meter that is tied to the customer’s ability to use power, and is based on the customer’s amperage panel size and rate tariff. The reliability charge started in 2008.

The charge helps to pay part of the $250 million debt service costs associated with projects that dramatically improve RPU’s reliability:

A power line project called the Riverside Transmission Reliability Project (RTRP)

The increased costs of generation the utility had to purchase, as long-term, lower cost energy contracts expired, and were replaced with higher-cost replacement power

The Reliability Charge amounts increased on January 2010 as the last of three rate increases, which took place on January 1, 2008, 2009 and 2010. These increases were part of RPU’s three-year Electric Rate Plan to provide equitable rates, system reliability, additional generation and transmission resources, emergency preparedness and other reliability enhancements. It was approved by the City Council on December 4, 2007.

In October 2012, the City Council voted to extend a rate freeze for residential and commercial electric customers until January 2014. The Reliability Charge is not being used to subsidize the rate freeze.

Customer Charge

This is a fixed amount that is assigned to each customer based upon their service rate, which is used to cover costs directly related to providing fixed monthly electric services.

State Energy Charge

A special assessment, based on energy usage, required by the state of California to fund ongoing energy programs and energy projects deemed appropriate by the Legislature.

City Services

All other charges, which might include:

Water

Paid by all utility customers in the city, the tax helps pay for things like street lights, park services, and city programs.

Electric Public Benefits Surcharge

This state-mandated surcharge is billed at a rate of 2.85% of the total electric charges and is paid back to the utility for use in customer assistance, energy efficiency, and conservation programs; renewable energy resources; and energy research and development.

Sewer

Sewer charges are based on customer type and size, and help cover the cost of maintaining the City’s sewer system.

Sewer Public Benefit Charge

This fee assists the Public Works Department in creating and supporting programs that encourage customers to implement technology and best practices that reduce their discharge into the sewer system.

Trash

Charges for trash, green waste, and recyclables collection.

Water Conservation & Reclamation Surcharge

A monthly surcharge of 1.5% of the total water charge that helps provide financing to create and encourage water conservation and efficiency programs.